3 Clown Loaches with ICH- AHHH

[goalorientation]

Turned the lights on today and breakfast was served. I always watch the fish after feeding and noticed there are white spots all over my botia macracanthus's! When feeding was done I noticed them rubbing against the burned clay pot as though something itches. I'm raising the temperature slowly over 80 degrees (usually keep at 76-77). Added melafix. No other fish affected at this moment (jewel cichlids, convict cichlids, blood parrot, synodontis eupterus).

This is my second bout with ich. My second oscar came down with it over half a year ago. I cut the filter off as suggested when adding melafix, added aquarium salt, and turned up the temperature. In 3 days the fish was dead, and it was not pretty to watch.

Please help me.

 

[IceH2O]

Wow where did you get such bad info from? No filter,melafix and raise the temp? At least the salt part was right.

You'll want to slowly add salt till you get to 2 tsp/gallon. Raise the temp to 86/87. I'm sure if you do a search for ich there will be an article on how to do.

I've done the heat/salt method with my loaches and they were fine. Just make sure you don't add the salt to quickly. Table salt is fine, don't waste your money on aquarium salts. Just make sure the table salt is just salt and doesn't have anything else in it.

You'll also either want to add an airstone or if you use a HOB drop the water level some. The higher heat means less oxygen so you need to agitate the surface more.

 

[goalorientation]

Gravel vacced 20% water out and am prepping the 15% to put back in (leaving an inch of drop as suggested). There's already an air stone 3/4th's the way down the tank. Going to add aquarium salt (already have it) to the fresh water.
This was the cleanest water change I've ever done (last one approximately 5 days ago @ 20%).

Test results after taking 20% out;

Nitrate 40
Nitrite 0
Hardness 85
Alkalinity 80
pH 7.0

 

[RogerMcAllen]

I am not an expert, but isn't salt really bad for scaleless fish such as loaches and plecs?

 

[rich311k]

I would go with just raising them over 86f. Salt is not a good idea with loaches IMO.

 

[Jchillin]

Moved to Unhealthy Fish forum.

 

[Ky'smommy]

No i heard salt was a nono with loaches. so why take the chance.
I had ich on one of my fish. I raised the heat slowly and thats all i did.
So check the fish regularly for spots and when the last spots gone wait two weeks before turning down the temp.
Heat helps slow down the lifecycle of it.
Hth.
Jen

 

[goalorientation]

Alright I'm going to do without the salt. Should I expect behavioral changes/ spawning attempts due to the increase in temperature?

 

[IceH2O]

Salt can be and has been done with loaches thousands of times. I don't know about Plecos though. My loaches did fine with the salts. Guess it could depend on how stressed they are.

The only problem with going strictly with heat is that if there is a dead spot in the tank and the water is cool enough for ich to survive you might not get rid of the ich. Heat doesn't kill ich, just speeds up the lifecycle. Salt kills the ich while its in the swimming part of the lifecycle.

I should say heat doesn't kill ich until you get closer to 90 degrees. I think after 87/88 they become sterile and can't reproduce.

 

[Ky'smommy]

i never had no problems with behavioral changes, but my fish also like really warm water. so it wasnt a problem. as for spawning im not sure either.
just keep an eye out on ur fish.
and if u need any help what so ever just come ask.
AA is so great for getting the help u need .
Goodluck.

 

[goalorientation]

Thank you much I will be buying a better heater for this one is not doing this job. This heater will not push the water over 78 degrees, so I'll get one from work this evening.

 

[Ky'smommy]

yah i know how u feel i have a heater for thats rated for 40g lol and i need it past 92 and it will sit at 89. good luck and keeep us posted

 

[goalorientation]

Using a UVB 75 Watt (anole's) heat lamp to slowly raise the temp. Went from 78 to 84 in 3 days... not too high of a jump I hope? The closer this lamp comes to the glass the warmer the water comes. Gonna steady it for two more days as the local temps sky. The clowns were flashing hard the first 2 days now one looks almost healed and another looks worse than before. NOT using aquarium salt as even the 4 year fish spec. @Petcorporation suggested. Surprisingly no other fish seem affected.

Btw any admin know how I can change my pw? I've swept the sight and don't see a link if someone could drop me an email with one goalorientation@hotmail.com would be appreciated. TY

 

[joannde]

To change your password go to your profile from the homepage (you'll see the link to your profile on the right).

Best of luck with the ich - I know what a pain it can be !